Garnish button assembly

ABSTRACT

A garnish button assembly for installation on a shift rod associated with the latch system on an automobile vehicle type door and adapted to thwart attempts to manipulate the latch system by a hook-like tool from without the vehicle, the garnish button assembly including a sleeve having a bore with one closed end and a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending between the bore and the outside surface of the sleeve, a pair of clutch inserts slidably disposed in the slots for movement into and out of the bore, and a groove in the rod registering with the slot in the sleeve when the sleeve is disposed over the distal end of the rod. By manually forcing the inserts into the groove in the rod a driving connection is established between the sleeve and the rod. When an attempt is made to lift the rod through the sleeve without manual force on the inserts, one side of the groove cams each of the inserts out of the bore to terminate the driving connection so that the sleeve moves independently of the rod.

United States Patent [191 Haven l l GARNISH BUTTON ASSEMBLY Harold A. Haven, Fenton, Mich.

[73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

22 Filed: Aug. 16,1973

21 Appl. No.: 389,018

[75] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Saul Schwartz 1 1 Oct. 1, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A garnish button assembly for installation on a shift rod associated with the latch system on an automobile vehicle type door and adapted to thwart attempts to manipulate the latch system by a hook-like tool from without the vehicle, the garnish button assembly including a sleeve having a bore with one closed end and a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending between the bore and the outside surface of the sleeve, a pair of clutch inserts slidably disposed in the slots for movement into and out of the bore, and a groove in the rod registering with the slot in the sleeve when the sleeve is disposed over the distal end of the rod. By manually forcing the inserts into the groove in the rod a driving connection is established between the sleeve and the rod. When an attempt is made to lift the rod through the sleeve without manual force on the inserts, one side of the groove cams each of the inserts out of the bore to terminate the driving connection so that the sleeve moves independently of the rod.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GARNISH BUTTON ASSEMBLY This invention relates generally to latch systems for vehicle type doors and more particularly to an irn proved garnish button assembly adapted to thwart attempts at unauthorized manipulation of the door latch system from without the vehicle.

Typical latch systems for automobile type doors include a latch mechanism on the door engageable on a body mounted striker, the latch mechanism being actuable between latched and unlatched conditions to releasably maintain the door in a closed position. Such latch systems further typically include a locking mechanism actuable between locked and unlocked conditions for preventing actuation of the latch mechanism to the unlatched condition. For convenience. the locking mechanism normally includes an interior control in the form of a shift rod connected to the locking mechanism and projecting vertically upward through an aperture in a trim or garnish panel adjacent the door window, a garnish button assembly being installed on the end of the shift rod to facilitate manual actuation. When the garnish button assembly is depressed the shift rod is moved down and the locking mechanism is thereby actuated to the locked condition and when the button assembly is extended the shift rod is moved up and the locking mechanism is thereby actuated to the unlocked condition.

In the past, persons seeking unauthorized entry into a locked vehicle have been known to insert hook-like tools around the closed window for the purpose of hooking the garnish button assembly and pulling the latter up to the extended position thereby to actuate the locking mechanism to the unlocked condition. A garnish button assembly according to this invention represents an improvement over heretofore known similar devices and incorporates in an easily manually operable button assembly an extremely simple yet effective deterrent to unauthorized manipulation from without the vehicle.

Accordingly, the primary feature of this invention is that it provides an improved garnish button assembly for a vehicle door latch system. Another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved garnish button assembly particularly adapted to thwart attempts at unauthorized manipulation from without the vehicle. Yet another feature of this invention resides in the provision of an improved garnish button assembly wherein a sleeve functions as the actuating button but is normally disconnected from the shift rod, the sleeve being clutched to the shift rod by a plurality of clutch inserts manually actuated by an operator which inserts are effectively impossible to actuate from without the vehicle. A further feature of this invention resides in the provision in the improved garnish button assembly of a sleeve slidably disposed on the end of the shift rod and slidably supporting in transverse orientation a pair of clutch inserts and in the provision of a groove on the shift rod defining a cam surface, the inserts being manually projected into the groove for drivingly connecting the sleeve and the rod and the cam surface being operative to cam the inserts out of the groove if an effort is made to lift the button without applying manual pressure on the clutch inserts.

These and other features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and from the drawings wherein:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a garnish button assembly according to this invention showing the latter in a retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 2-2 in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the sleeve, the clutch inserts and the shift rod; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing only the sleeve.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a typical automobile type vehicle door designated generally 10 is swingably mounted on the vehicle body, not shown. for movement between open and closed positions. The door includes laterally spaced inner and outer panels which are rigidly attached along their vertical and lower edges to form a well therebetween. Typically. the inner and outer panels converge at the upper marginal edge of the door to form a slot extending the length of the door, the slot accommodating a window panel 12 supported on the door by conventional means, not shown, for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between a raised or closed position, FIG. 1, projecting above the door and a lowered or open position, not

shown, stowed in the well defined between the door I inner and outer panels. The upper portion of the door inner panel converging with the outer panel defines a generally flat or slightly sloping sill portion 14 adjacent the window which, for decorative purposes, is covered by a trim or garnish panel 16.

The door has mounted thereon a conventional door latch system including a latch mechanism, not shown, adapted to engage a body mounted striker, not shown, in the closed positon of the door, the latch mechanism being actuable from a latched to an unlatched condition to release the striker for permitting opening movement of the door. A locking mechanism, not shown, but also conventional is associated with the latch mechanism and is manually actuable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition preventing actuation of the latch mechanism to the unlatched condition, the door then being locked in the closed position. The locking mechanism is conventionally remotely actuable from either of two locations on the door. From outside the vehicle the locking mechanism is actuable by a key through a lock cylinder, not shown, rigidly mounted on the door outer panel. From inside the vehicle the locking mechanism is actuable through a shift rod 18. For a full and complete description of a typical door latch system having the above-noted characteristics, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,081,117, issued Mar. 12, 1963 and assigned to the assignee of this invention.

The shift rod 18 is operatively connected at one end, not shown, to the locking mechanism of the latch system such that upward vertical bodily shiftable movement of the rod from a retracted position, FIG. 1, to an extended position, not shown, effects actuation of the locking mechanism from the locked to the unlocked condition. The distal end of the shift rod projects through a circular aperture 20 in the sill portion 14 and a similar aperture 21 in the garnish panel 16. A garnish button assembly constructed according to this invention and designated generally 22 is disposed on the distal end of the shift rod and adapted, as described hereinafter to facilitate manual actuation of the rod while discouraging unauthorized manipulation from without the vehicle.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the garnish button assembly 22 includes a sleeve 24 and a pair of clutch inserts 26. The sleeve 24 includes an enlarged head portion 28 and an axial bore 30 extending substantially the entire length of the sleeve. An end wall 32, FIG. 5, integral with the head portion 28 closes the upper end of the bore 30. The sleeve 24 further includes, at the lower end thereof, three integral spring arms 34 each having a hook portion 36 at the distal end thereof. The sleeve is adapted for reception in the circular apertures 20 and 21 and the bore 30 is adapted for slidable reception of the distal end of the shift rod 18.

As seen best in FIGS. 4, and 6, a pair of diametrically opposed slots 38 in the sleeve extend between the bore 30 and the outside diameter of the head portion 28 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore 30. Each slot includes an enlarged chamber 40 communicating with the bore 30 and an enlarged D- shaped section 42 communicating with the outside diameter of the head portion.

As seen best in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, each insert 26 includes a finger grip portion 44, a clutch portion 46, and a neck 48 interconnecting the finger grip and clutch portions. The end of each of the clutch portions 46 em bodies an arcuate configuration and is beveled on the top and bottom to define a plurality of truncated conical surface sections 50. Each insert is received in a corresponding one of the slots 38 with the clutch portion 46 disposed in the enlarged chamber 40 and the finger grip portion 44 disposed in the D-shaped section 42. The clutch inserts are slidable in the slots in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the bore 30 between an operative position, FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, wherein the surface sections 50 of each clutch portion 46 project into the bore 30, and an inoperative position, not shown, disposed radially outwardly of the operative position. The operative and inoperative positions of the clutch inserts are defined by opposite ends of the enlarged chambers 40 in the slots. In the inoperative positions the clutch portions 46 of the clutch inserts are disposed completely within corresponding ones of the enlarged chambers.

As seen best in FIG. 5, the shift rod 18 has an annular groove 52 formed therein adjacent the distal end thereof. The groove 52 has a generally cylindrical base surface 54, an upper side defining a truncated conical surface 56 and a lower side 58. The surface 56 is generally complementary to the surface sections 50 on the clutch portions 46 of the clutch inserts.

Describing now the operation of the garnish button assembly 22, when the door latch mechanism is installed on the door the shift rod 18 is oriented generally vertically and is aligned with and projects through the apertures and 21. The sleeve 24 is positioned over the distal end of the shift rod with the latter being slidably received in the bore 30. The sleeve is forced down into the apertures 20 and 21 until the hook portions 36 pass through the apertures, the hook portions being deflected by the edges of the apertures and restored to their original positions, FIG. 1, by the inherent resilience of the spring arms 34. After the hook portions clear the apertures 20 and 21, the sleeve descends under the influence of gravity until the distal end of the shift rod engages the end wall 32, the end wall thus defining a bottomed position, FIGS. 1 and 5, of the sleeve relative to the shift rod wherein the groove 52 registers with the slots 38 in the sleeve.

To move the shift rod from the retracted position. force is applied manually radially inwardly on each of the finger grip portions 44 thereby projecting the clutch inserts to the operative positions thereof wherein the arcuate edge of each clutch portion 46 is disposed within the groove 52. Upwardly directed force is then manually applied to the head portion 28 of the sleeve which effects engagement betweenthe upper surface section 50 on the clutch inserts and the surface 56 on the shift rod. Since slots 38 restrain the inserts vertically, a driving connection is established between the shift and the clutch inserts and the shift rod moves with the sleeve to the extended position, not shown. For locking the latch mechanism it is necessary only to manually apply a downwardly directed force on the sleeve. The downward force is transferred from the sleeve to the shift rod at the end wall 32 so that the shift rod is moved downwardly from the extended to the retracted position, FIG. 1.

An unauthorized attempt to mamipulate the shift rod 18 from without the vehicle normally involves a hooklike tool pushed around the window seals and engaged on the head portion of the garnish button for the purpose of applying upward force thereon. If such a tool is engaged on the head portion 28 of the garnish button assembly 22 and an upwardly directed force imparted thereto, the upper surface section 50 of each of the clutch inserts 26 engages the surface 56 of the groove 52 in the shift rod. The surface 56 thereupon functions as a cam exerting a radially outwardly directed force component on each insert which, in the absence of manual force on the inserts. forces the clutch inserts radially outward from the operative to the inoperative positions so that the driving connection between the sleeve and the shift rod is terminated. Accordingly, the force imparted to the sleeve by the hook-like tool merely lifts the sleeve independently of the shift rod until the hook portions 36 engage the underside of the sill portion 14 whereupon further upward movement is prevented.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed 1. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axial bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, clutch means disposed on said sleeve and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, abutment means on said rod end portion engageable on said clutch means in the operative position of the latter and in the bottomed position of said sleeve thereby to establish a driving connection between said clutch means and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, and means operative to move said clutch means to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said clutch means to the operative position thereof.

2. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an un' locked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axle bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, clutch means disposed on said sleeve in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bore and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, abutment means on said rod end portion engageable on said clutch means in the operative position of the latter and in the bottomed position of said sleeve thereby to establish a driving connection between said clutch means and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, and cam means disposed between said clutch means and said rod responsive to upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said clutch means to the operative position thereof for moving said clutch means to the inoperative position thereof.

3. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axial bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, a clutch insert disposed on said sleeve for bodily shiftable movement in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bore and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, means on said rod defining a groove, and means on said rod defining a frusto-conical surface at the uppermost side of said groove, said clutch insert in the operative position thereof projecting into said groove in the bottomed position of said sleeve and being engageable on said frusto-conical surface thereby to establish a driving connection between said insert and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, said frusto-conical surface being operative to move said clutch insert to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said insert to the operative position thereof.

4. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release :said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve having an axial bore closed at one end and a pair of diametrically opposed transverse slots interconnecting said bore and the outside surface of said sleeve and a plurality of integral retaining fingers, said sleeve being disposed in said panel aperture with said retaining fingers located below said panel to prevent full withdrawal of said sleeve from said aperture and with said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion so that said closed end defines a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, a pair of clutch inserts each having a beveled end and an enlarged finger grip portion, each of said clutch inserts being slidably disposed in a corresponding one of said transverse slots in said sleeve for manually induced bodily shiftable movement between an inoperative position and an operative position wherein each of said beveled ends projects into said bore, and means on said rod defining an annular groove the uppermost side of which defines a frusto-conical surface complementary to each of said beveled ends on said clutch inserts, each of said beveled ends in the operative positions of said clutch inserts projecting into said groove in the bottomed position of said sleeve and being engageable on said frusto-conical surface thereby to establish a driving connection between said inserts and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, said frusto-conical surface being operative to move each of said clutch inserts to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said inserts to the operative positions thereof. 

1. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axial bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, clutch means disposed on said sleeve and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, abutment means on said rod end portion engageable on said clutch means in the operative position of the latter and in the bottomed position of said sleeve thereby to establish a driving connection between said clutch means and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, and means operative to move said clutch means to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said clutch means to the operative position thereof.
 2. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch meaNs on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axle bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, clutch means disposed on said sleeve in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bore and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, abutment means on said rod end portion engageable on said clutch means in the operative position of the latter and in the bottomed position of said sleeve thereby to establish a driving connection between said clutch means and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, and cam means disposed between said clutch means and said rod responsive to upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said clutch means to the operative position thereof for moving said clutch means to the inoperative position thereof.
 3. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve defining an axial bore having one end closed, said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion and said closed end defining a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, a clutch insert disposed on said sleeve for bodily shiftable movement in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bore and manually actuatable between an inoperative position and an operative position projecting into said bore, means on said rod defining a groove, and means on said rod defining a frusto-conical surface at the uppermost side of said groove, said clutch insert in the operative position thereof projecting into said groove in the bottomed position of said sleeve and being engageable on said frusto-conical surface thereby to establish a driving connection between said insert and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, said frusto-conical surface being operative to move said clutch insert to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said insert to the operative position thereof.
 4. In a latching system for a vehicle door including latch means on said door actuatable to releasably maintain said door in a closed position, lock means associated with said latch means actuatable between an unlocked condition and a locked conDition rendering said latch means inoperative to release said door, and a shift rod operatively connected to said lock means and disposed on said door in a generally vertical orientation with an end portion thereof projecting through an aperture in a panel of said door for generally vertical bodily shiftable movement between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the unlocked and the locked conditions of said lock means, the combination comprising, a sleeve having an axial bore closed at one end and a pair of diametrically opposed transverse slots interconnecting said bore and the outside surface of said sleeve and a plurality of integral retaining fingers, said sleeve being disposed in said panel aperture with said retaining fingers located below said panel to prevent full withdrawal of said sleeve from said aperture and with said bore slidably receiving said rod end portion so that said closed end defines a stop for limiting downward movement of said sleeve relative to said rod under the influence of gravity to a bottomed position, a pair of clutch inserts each having a beveled end and an enlarged finger grip portion, each of said clutch inserts being slidably disposed in a corresponding one of said transverse slots in said sleeve for manually induced bodily shiftable movement between an inoperative position and an operative position wherein each of said beveled ends projects into said bore, and means on said rod defining an annular groove the uppermost side of which defines a frusto-conical surface complementary to each of said beveled ends on said clutch inserts, each of said beveled ends in the operative positions of said clutch inserts projecting into said groove in the bottomed position of said sleeve and being engageable on said frusto-conical surface thereby to establish a driving connection between said inserts and said rod so that upward movement of said sleeve effects concurrent bodily shiftable movement of said rod from the retracted to the extended position, said frusto-conical surface being operative to move each of said clutch inserts to the inoperative position thereof during upward movement of said sleeve in the absence of manual actuation of said inserts to the operative positions thereof. 